National Religious Youth Campaign against ‘Price Tag’

National religious youth movements are launching a campaign against “price tag” violence and vandalism and for honoring the IDF.

Contact Editor

Tzvi Ben Gedalyahu, 27/12/11 08:49

The Bnei Akiva spirit (file)

Israel news photo: Bnei Akiva website

National religious youth movements Tuesday night are launching a campaign against “price tag” violence and vandalism, and for honoring the IDF.

The groups will state “clearly and categorically” that recent vandalism and attacks and slurs against soldiers and public figures cross “red lines that are unquestioned among the People of Israel.”

Bnei Akiva, Ezra, Religious Boy Scouts and other national religious youth will be accompanied by rabbis and public figures begin the anti-price tag campaign following the infiltration, vandalism and rock throwing at an IDF base earlier this month.

Approximately 50 youth were involved in the act, apparently in response to fears that security forces were about to carry out another order to destroy Jewish homes in Samaria.

Soldiers generally are not involved in demolitions and act only as back-up forces for Border Police who usually execute orders to destroy homes in Judea and Samaria.

The campaign by the national religious youth is based on the mitzvah of “Love thy Neighbor as Thyself,” which the groups pointed out ”obligates every Jew, without any connection to his opinions or views, even if we don’t agree with them.”

The declaration to be proclaimed by the youth groups states, “We obligate ourselves not to act in any way that violates this mitzvah, whether physically or verbally.”

“It is forbidden to destroy or damage property belonging to another Jew, including public figures and the government.

“We honor the IDF and security forces and appreciate their work to protect us day and night, and we obligate ourselves never to hurt them or damage army property, and we never will disparage the IDF.”

The declaration also points out that “the atmosphere of hatred and division is self-destructive, and we must learn from mistakes of the past and work for unity.”

The groups said their objective is to make the public understand that the recent incidents of violence and vandalism are isolated events and against the spirit and ideology of an overwhelming part of the national religious community.